Eating competence of hispanic parents is associated with attitudes and behaviors that may mediate fruit and vegetable-related behaviors of 4th grade youth

Abstract

Parent self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and behaviors toward cooking and fruits and vegetables mediate children's eating. Eating competence, an intra-individual approach to food-related attitudes and behaviors, is associated with healthful outcomes but has not been studied as a moderator of parent food-related behaviors that mediate healthful eating in 4th grade children. Parents (n = 339, 78% Hispanic, 89% female) of 4th graders who participated in an impact study of the Cooking with Kids curriculum in Santa Fe, NM schools eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education completed the following surveys, Satter eating competence inventory for low-income (ecSI/LI) (16 items, Likert scale, possible score 0-48), modeling behaviors related to food preparation and fruits/vegetables (11 items, Likert scale, possible score 0-33); self-efficacy/outcome expectancies (SE/OE) (12 items, Likert scale, possible score 12-60); and availability of fruits/vegetables (20 items, possible score 0-20); Higher scores indicate more desired behaviors. The mean ecSI/LI score was 33.6 ± 8.5, 59% were eating competent, i.e., ecSI/LI >32. Eating-competent parents demonstrated more modeling (16.3 ± 5.0 vs. 14.0 ± 4.3, P < 0.001), greater SE/OE (53.7 ± 10.1 vs. 51.2 ± 8.5, P = 0.03), and greater in-home fruit/vegetable availability (12.7 ± 3.0 vs. 11.9 ± 3.2, P = 0.02). Two clusters of modeling behavior were defined, achievers and strivers. Modeling achievers (34.9± 6.9) were more eating competent (P < 0.001) than strivers (30.3± 8.9). Eating competence moderated parent food-related behaviors. Measuring eating competence may contribute to understanding parent behavior as a mediator in school-based nutrition interventions. J. Nutr. 142, 1903-1909, 2012. © 2012 American Society for Nutrition.